This weeks’ photo prompt and Dragon’s bidding:

Cave Monastery. Vardezia, Georgia. CC photo by Ben van der Ploeg.

Three Lessons (160 words)

I looked up to the towering mountain, as water and rocks gushed out of its ruined caves.

‘Why have you brought me here, father, in this thunderstorm?’

‘Tamar, first Queen of Georgia, built this cave monastery over 900 years ago, to preserve our religion from the invading Mongols. There was a secret tunnel starting here, at the river, and leading up to our sacred place.’

‘What happened?’

‘There was an earthquake and most of it collapsed, although monks have been living there up to this day. Why did God allow the earthquake to destroy his monastery?’

‘Perhaps God didn’t like the way they worshipped, and he wanted to punish them for building this stronghold?’

‘No, my son. God wants to teach us three lessons: firstly, that the forces of nature are stronger than man; secondly, that nothing on Earth is permanent; and thirdly, that we can and must always be prepared to start again from scratch and rebuild our dreams.’

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